New York can have its gleaming ball drop on New Year’s Eve. I’d much rather send out the old year with the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals’ Jet Jam Night of Fire at Florida’s Bradenton Motorsports Park. This year’s event was jam-packed with good friends, lots of fire and a whole lot of fun.

The 2013 Jet Jam featured a fantastic line-up: Larsen Motorsports raced two jet dragsters driven by co-owner Elaine Larsen and new driver Dawn Purdue; and The Wicked Willy jet funny car driven by Jerry McCart faced off against Sam Ives in the Heat Wave funny car. Last, but certainly not least, the one and only Bob Motz and his fire breathing, rockin’ & rollin’ Original Jet Truck put the icing on the cake.

It was a beautiful day and night and the jets looked and sounded great on both runs. The crowd was wowed and the drivers all made it down the track safely and back to their pits to sign hero cards, shirts and even one young man’s helmet.

Next to the runs themselves, I can’t think of anything I enjoy more than watching people come and talk to jet drivers after they race. There were oodles of little girls dancing around the Larsen Motorsports’ pit area waving their hero cards. They are a perennial testimony to the inspiration that Elaine and her team provide to women of all ages since Elaine began racing jet dragsters ten years ago. In 2014, Larsen Motorsports is fielding the first ever team of four female jet dragster drivers.

Over at the Original Jet Truck’s pit, wide-eyed, still-looking-for-words, kids and adults gushed their breathless thank yous to Bob. He sat on the stairs of his rig signing shirts and answering the questions he has heard since he and son Scott built the truck and brought a whole new world of excitement to jet racing. The 1998 Kenworth weighs 7,000 lbs. and is powered by a J79 General Electric jet engine that is otherwise used to get B-58 Bomber or F4 Phantom Fighter jets off the ground.

Snowed in for the Snowbirds
Elaine wasn’t even supposed to race, but driver Marisha Falk, was snowbound in Texas and unable to get a flight. The race must go on, so Elaine changed her plans to be in Orlando to unveil the new “Blaze” comic book about her life as a jet racer. She unveiled it at Bradenton, instead, along with the comic’s artist, Mark Enkerud of St. Petersburg, FL. The first edition of the comic book was on sale at Elaine’s merch truck and it really looks amazing. For more information on how the comic book was created, or to order a copy go to www.adventuresofblaze.com.

Elaine Larsen and Mark Enkerud pose with the “Blaze” comic book.

Dawn’s two trips down the track were her official debut with Larsen Motorsports. The 27-year-old pediatric nurse, who comes from a racing family, had previously driven jet cars in the Northeastern U.S. Thrilled to be joining the Larsen’s team, Dawn said she was first inspired by to get behind the wheel by Jessie Queen of Diamonds, who wowed the jet circuit in mid-2000s. Also in the pits was 19-year-old Kat Moller who rounds out the team. She also is from a racing family and began driving junior dragsters at age 11.

Elaine Larsen (Left) and Dawn Purdue.

2014 is going to be another big year for Chris and Elaine Larsen who have achieved their dream of bringing jet car racing to the next level. But with those two, there is always another level to reach for, so stay tuned.

The Original Jet Truck
I’ll never forget seeing Bob Motz’ fabulous jet truck for the first time in Orlando in 2003. When the truck started rocking back and forth as he almost burned down the brick wall behind the starting line down, I fell head over heels for the whole package.

Bob Motz smiles for the camera.

Needless to say, I was dumbstruck when news reached me about his accident in June of 2007 at Kanawha Valley Dragway. The cab of Bob’s truck became engulfed in flames near the starting line, but he got out and was airlifted to the hospital with second and third degree burns. Despite his lengthy and difficult recovery, Bob and his son Scott fixed the truck and got back on the road in 2009. It’s difficult to imagine the guts it must have taken for him to get back on the track. Apparently 40+ years of jet racing is a very strong force.

I savored the two incredible fiery runs that Bob made at Bradenton. Taking pictures of the fire show isn’t easy because I’m usually shaking and laughing with glee the whole time it’s going on. I get the photos I need and then brace myself against the light pole to watch the truck blast off the line. I usually get the ETs, but this weekend I was just too in the moment to think about them. Let’s just say everybody was good and fast!

My daytime photos came out better this time around, it’s quite a feat to get those nighttime shots, but I like the one I got pretty well. Bottom line, though, is that there isn’t a photo or video that will ever capture what it’s like to watch Bob Motz and take his truck to the line and run the 1/4 mile. This video by Bill Crabb does come pretty close though:

Jeff Morris loves to drag race. A locomotive engineer who works the night shift during the week, Jeff tends to the needs of his wife and family when he’s home, but Morris and his wife of one year, Robyn, get to the track as often as they can. Robyn had no idea what a dragster was when she met Morris several years ago. Today, she and his long-time racing friend Doug Miller make up his devoted pit crew.

“Robyn is my right-hand helper. I love being at the track with her,” said Morris. So much for the people who said he’d be selling his dragster when they got engaged.

The 37-year-old Morris always knew he wanted to work for the railroad. He began his career at age 19. It took him a while to get interested in drag racing though. He worked on engines with his father, a drag racer and mechanic, as a youngster, but it was Morris’ first car, a 1989 Mustang got him thinking about the racing at the drag strip.

“I did a little street racing and got run off the road before I realized I needed to do my racing at the track,” he explained.

Morris sold the Mustang and bought a 1972 Nova with a 350 engine. It wasn’t very fast so he took it to car shows on the weekends he wasn’t working with his father to “soup up the engine.” The car didn’t really fly on its first trip down the quarter mile track at run at Bradenton Motorsports Park, but it did light Morris on fire for racing.

“Once you go down the track, you begin to search for the fastest time you can get until you run a 0.0,” he said.

Realizing this need for speed, Morris bought a ’67 Nova and a house with a shop on the side so he could work on it.

“I tore everything out of it and installed a roll cage, a used stock GM block, and crank rods. My father and I stroked the engine from a 350 to a 383 and it ran for a year before spinning out the bearings,” said Morris. “I turned a 12:40 in that car.”

Still, that was not fast enough, so the ’67 Nova got a make-over with upgraded parts, including Eagle crank rods and SRP pistons, which are now in his front engine dragster. Slowly but surely the car ran faster, eventually turning a time of 10:86. The racing was all test and tune, though, because his times were not good enough to enter the bracket races.

“I started to get tired of it,” said Morris.

However, he was not too tired to go onto RacingJunk.com to sell the ’67 Nova and start looking for a front engine dragster (FED). As he searched for the right car, he learned about the Southern Slingshots, a group that is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the original dragster. Whether they drive short-wheelbase altered or longer FEDs, the group’s members strive to bring nostalgic racing to the current generation of racing fans. The Slingshots other main objective is to have fun. After talking to a club member, the light at the end of the FED tunnel got even brighter for Morris.

“He said once I got my car I could go with them anywhere to do exhibition racing, which meant traveling out of state, getting treated well at the tracks and enjoying good parking spaces so people could easily take a look at the nostalgia dragsters,” said Morris.

While he did not really know much about dragsters, Morris eventually was united with his FED through the magic of the Internet in the fall of 2008. He and his father drove up to Maryville, Tenn. to get it. His 6 ft. 200 lbs. frame made the car a snug fit, but Morris knew it was the one. They towed it back to Florida and Morris put his own small-block Chevy engine into the narrow chassis. He got it moving up and down the driveway in about a day, but did not get to the track for another month.

“It had a 5/37 gear so I ran it until it hit the rev limiter. The car turned a 9:40,” Morris said. “A 4/11 gear brought that down to 9:30.”

Meanwhile, Morris had to learn how to do burnouts and drive and turn the dragster. He took it to Gainesville and turned a 9:02 before he was told he’d have to have his NHRA license to make another run. Morris finished getting his license at Thunder Valley, Bristol, Tenn. in 2009.

“Doug and I had a good time and we used up 100 gallons of gas getting me licensed, but I had a sense that this new car was going to be a lot of fun if we could get to the races without going broke,” said Morris. “Since 2010, we have gone to Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina about six times and had a blast with it.”

Also in 2010, Morris switched the dragster to the Slingshots’ fuel of choice, injected alcohol and a mix of 25% nitro/methane all the time. The car started turning in times of 8:16 at 161 mph. He currently runs the dragster on 100% methanol.

While he didn’t sell his car when he got married and became a father, Morris did let go of the need for more and more speed.

“I have a family to take care of and this is dangerous enough,” he said.

Today, Morris does all his racing with the Southern Slingshots, except for an occasional Test & Tune. The name of the game is pleasing the crowd.

“I’ve been to 15 or 20 different tracks, but I’d rather go to a local track any day,” said Morris. “The best part of driving a dragster is getting in the car, firing it up and seeing people lined up along the fence and in the stands who are there to see you entertain them.”

Driving a nostalgia car also makes racing his FED extra special. Realizing that the dragster had to be more than 40 years old, Morris searched for the man that built it. He found Ed Mabry online, who was building land speed motorcycles in Arlington, Texas.

“I’m so glad we got to touch base and I got to e-mail him some pictures of the dragster,” said Morris. “My car has a life and its own story. It’s probably been from one coast to the other and could tell some interesting tales.” Mabry has since passed away, but his work has left a personal legacy for Jeff Morris and his family.

]]>http://www.racingjunk.com/news/2013/11/21/on-track-with-annie-lindstrom-behind-the-wheel-interview-with-jeff-morris/feed/0On Track with Annie Lindstrom: The Art Malone Southern Nostalgia Muscle Car Shootouthttp://www.racingjunk.com/news/2013/11/13/on-track-with-annie-lindstrom-the-art-malone-southern-nostalgia-muscle-car-shootout/
http://www.racingjunk.com/news/2013/11/13/on-track-with-annie-lindstrom-the-art-malone-southern-nostalgia-muscle-car-shootout/#commentsWed, 13 Nov 2013 01:34:58 +0000http://www.racingjunk.com/news/?p=1056I made the trek to Bradenton Motorsports Park, Bradenton, Fla. today to watch Jeff Morris run his front engine dragster with his group the Southern Slingshots. I wanted to follow up with him live and in person after interviewing him by phone for my first Racer Interview article for RacingJunk.com (stay tuned).

I had not been to a local drag strip for several years. As I neared the track, my head flooded with memories, great memories, of the years I spent following jet cars & trucks around Florida after I moved here about 14 years ago. There were no jets today, but everyone I know that drives a jet was in my heart and thoughts. I can’t wait to see many of my old pals at Bradenton’s Snowbird Outlaw Nationals – Jet Jam Night of Fire, Dec. 6-8. I also want to check out the new Palm Beach International Raceway, in West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Fla. Several jets and awesome cars and dragsters will light up the Citrus Nationals there this coming weekend, Nov. 8-10. The last time I went to the East Coast for a race, the track was named Moroso Motorsports Park. The new owners remodeled it extensively. Even though I’ll miss the old track, I can’t wait to see the new one and make some new memories.

I got my start writing about jet cars & trucks in 2003 at these two tracks and Orlando Speed World, Orlando, Fla. But my love of drag racing goes way back. I realized at Bradenton today that this year is my 40th anniversary of falling head over heels in love with “the strip.” It all began in 1973 at Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove, Wis. My boyfriend had a 383 ’69 Roadrunner and we’d drive up from suburban Chicago for big events and to race. It was love at first sight and sound. Let me put it this way, on my prom night, I was at the drag strip.

It was fitting to be hit with all these memories at today’s event, the Art Malone Southern Nostalgia Muscle Car Shootout. One of the most perfect days for racing I’ve ever seen in Florida, it was warm and breezy under a clear blue sky. It was the utter opposite of a night I’ll never forget at the Snowbirds. My teeth were chattering as a howling 40-degree wind pierced my parka and long underwear. I kid you not. My newly thinned blood was telling me I really was a Floridian now as I helped all my jet friends get packed up to head home after the race.

But the sun was shining brightly as I arrived at Morris’ pit. He was preparing to make his first run, which was going to be a memorial for a friend who had recently passed away. Morris carried some of his ashes with him on a slow pass as a tribute to his love for drag racing. The friend’s family was emotional during the pass, but thrilled that he got to go down the quarter-mile one last time.

After some racing, I witnessed my first “Cacklefest,” a tribute to racing great Art Malone. Among many other things, Malone was 1963’s AHRA Top Fuel World Champion, a supporter of, and substitute driver for Big Daddy Don Garlits, and a member of the AHRA Hall of Fame. Malone passed away at age 76 earlier this year from injuries sustained in an airboat accident.

The Cacklefest began with about 20 cars and dragsters rolling onto the track in both lanes and parking at a slant facing the finish line. Once staged, a track official gave the drivers the signal to start their engines, and all the cars revved and “cackled” at each other and the crowd for several minutes. The cars left the track in pairs.

The rumbling parade included the Sox & Martin Barracuda and A/FX cars, which raced several times during the day. Even though I’ve seen them locally before, I was blinking my eyes in disbelief at the stunningly maintained cars from “back in the day” running so great today. As a MOPAR gal, it’s always great to see them. When I got home, I ran to the computer to do some more remembering of Sox & Martin’s contribution to drag racing.

In between runs I got to take a close look at the cars entered in the nostalgia car show. My favorite was a 1950’s big green monster van/truck that painted to look all rusty and junky. However, the opened hood showed off a gorgeous engine and several shiny chrome gauges were lined up inside the windshield. Sadly, I couldn’t tell what kind of car it was. I’ll find out though. Parked in front of it, and elsewhere in the pits, were several custom “banana bikes” with super high handlebars and long rakes. Popped my first wheelie on one of those.

I love cars, but I’m a nature lover too. Another highlight of my day was seeing couple of beautiful butterflies, including a Tiger Swallowtail, fluttering about the grassy pits and bleachers. I tried to get a photo, but no luck. The juxtaposition of these delicate fliers and beautiful old racecars captured the look and feel of the day just perfectly.

Before I knew it, it was time to leave. On my way out I stopped near the entrance gate to see what was going on under what looked like a Top Fuel tent. It was a Top Fuel tent alright, covering Sweden’s Team Starta Racing Top Fuel motorcycle. I talked to its pilot, Peter Svensson, who made a world record 5:70 quarter-mile pass on it in 2012. Svensson and his team hope to race the bike at the Haltech World Finals in Bradenton this weekend, Nov. 8-10. I was pretty amazed to see a Top Fuel bike, but he told me there are eight others running mostly in Europe.

In addition to Peter’s awesome machine (which is another story in and of itself that I just might have to write about, as well as the Peter himself) the coming weekend’s event will feature Eric Teboul’s Rocket Bike, which has clocked a 5:19 at 250 mph. There also will be Nitro Bikes and a Pro Dragster on the line-up. I have to confess, I’ve never been a big motorcycle drag racing fan, but I can’t wait to be converted into one this weekend. You’ll hear all about it in my next On Track blog.